This invention relates to the provision of long distance voice communications involving toll switching systems and, in particular, to a system and a method for establishing long distance voice communications between a calling party having access to a computer which can be connected to the Internet and a telephone connected by a first line to the public switched telephone network (PSTN) and the called party having access to a telephone connected by a second line to the PSTN.
The rapid growth of the Internet and its ubiquitous availability in the industrialized world has given rise to new opportunities for facilitating communications, including voice communications using hybrid facilities which include the use of various capabilities of the Internet, privately owned equipment and the PSTN.
One such innovative approach to a telecommunications system is described in Canadian Patent Application No. 2,139,081 to A. Gordon which was laid open to public inspection on Jun. 24, 1996. This application is entitled UNIFIED MESSAGING SYSTEM AND METHOD. It describes a method of storing voice, facsimile and electronic mail messages at local service provider nodes accessed through the local public switched telephone network and forwarding those messages to destination nodes connected to the global Internet system where the messages may be retrieved from the destination node by the recipient through the local PSTN. While this facility is capable of storing and forwarding voice messages, it does not support two-way interactive voice communications.
A method and system for establishing voice communications using a computer network is also described in European Patent Application No. EP 0 740 445 A2 to Dezonno et al. which was published Oct. 30, 1996. This application describes a method and system for arranging the establishment of voice communications between a computer user and a company sales and/or information agent over the PSTN using a computer network such as the Internet. The computer user connects to the Internet using a browser application and views advertisements of the business products or services via customized home pages owned and maintained by the businesses. When the operator wishes to order a product or ask questions about a product, the user can activate a xe2x80x9ccall mexe2x80x9d option on the home page of interest. Selecting that option returns a call input screen which permits the user to insert his name, telephone number and a time that he wishes to be called. The xe2x80x9ccall mexe2x80x9d information is packetized in a call request which is transmitted over the Internet to a telephone switching system associated with the business. The telephone switching system subsequently dials the user""s telephone number at the specified time. When the user answers the call, the telephone switching system connects the user with the company agent so that the user may order the product or request additional information. The telephone switching system is preferably a telephone computer and an automatic call distributor. While this system has utility for vendors and service providers who advertise with Internet worldwide web pages, it appears to have no utility that extends beyond conveniently connecting curious or interested web browsers with agents who can provide information and/or sales service. While a caller has an option of selecting the advertiser by which he wishes to be contacted, the caller has no control over the agent to which he will be connected. Nor does the caller have an option of placing a call through the PSTN.
Although there is considerable competition in most developed countries for the provision of long distance voice communication services, it remains difficult to ensure that the best long distance service rates are achieved for every long distance call. In North America, telephone service subscribers select a long distance carrier, often referred to as an interexchange carrier or an IXC, who handles all long distance calls made by the subscriber. The theory is that one selects the long distance carrier who provides the best service at the most reasonable price. The practical problem is that long distance carriers may have excellent rates for certain calls and poor rates for other calls because of limitations in the extent of their network, settlement rate agreements, lack of competition or other circumstances which may or may not be beyond their control. Consequently, it is desirable to provide a system which is capable of selecting the least cost rate for any long distance call and, therefore, selecting the long distance carrier based on least cost routing.
Because of the structure of the PSTN in North America, at this time it is not practical to offer subscribers least cost carrier selection based on call destination. As the network is now structured, it is necessary for consumers to select a long distance carrier based on available information respecting their long distance rates. For reasons that are quite understandable, such decisions usually stem from the influence of advertising rather than a thorough analysis of rate structures.
There is a need, therefore, to provide long distance voice communications users with an option of having a long distance carrier selected based on least cost routing given an area of origination and an area of termination for a long distance call.
It is an object of the present invention to provide subscribers to the PSTN with a long distance calling option which permits the subscriber to initiate long distance calls which are set up by a call connection control computer connected to the Internet.
It is a further object of the invention to provide subscribers to the PSTN with a long distance calling option whereby the selection of a carrier for any given call is based on the least cost route for completing the call.
It is another object of the invention to provide a long distance voice communication service for subscribers to the PSTN which permits calls to be completed on a global basis to any telephone which may be accessed through the PSTN.
In accordance with the first aspect of the invention there is provided a method of establishing long distance voice communications between an origination number specified by a calling party having access to a computer which can be connected to the Internet and a telephone connected by a first line to the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), and a termination number of a called party having access to a telephone connected by a second line to the PSTN, comprising:
receiving a call request packet from the calling party at the long distance service provider node and sending a call request packet to a call connection control computer connected to the Internet and interfaced with a telephone toll switch connected to the PSTN;
operating the call connection control computer connected to the Internet and interfaced with the telephone toll switch to instruct the toll switch to dial the origination number supplied in the call request packet using a first trunk and to dial the termination number supplied in the call request packet using a second trunk;
operating the call connection control computer interfaced with the telephone toll switch to instruct the switch to conference together the first and second trunks to establish the voice communications between the origination number and the termination number.
In accordance with a further aspect of the invention there is provided an apparatus for establishing long distance voice communications between an origination number supplied by a calling party having access to a computer which can be connected to the Internet and a telephone connected by a first line to the PSTN, and a termination number of a called party having access to a telephone connected by a second line to the PSTN, comprising:
a long distance service provider node accessible by the calling party""s computer through the Internet, the node being programmed to:
a) on a one time basis, to download to a calling party""s computer a membership identification form and to obtain identification information and verify the credit rating of the calling party on receipt of the completed form;
b) on a per session basis, to download a logon form to identify the calling party and verify the calling party""s eligibility to place long distance calls;
c) on a per session basis, in an instance where the calling party is eligible to place long distance calls, to download call request enabling software to permit the calling party to request a long distance call;
d) on a per call basis, to accept a call request from the calling party and to forward the call request to a call connection control computer;
the call connection control computer having an interface with a toll switch connected to the PSTN and programmed to:
a) receive the call request from the long distance service provider node and instruct the toll switch through the interface to:
i) dial the origination number using a first trunk;
ii) dial the termination number using a second trunk;
iii) conference together the first and second trunks; and
iv) pass back at least a variable representing a length in time of a duration of the call on call termination;
whereby at least the variable representing the length in time of the duration of the call is stored in a database by the call connection control computer or returned by the call connection control computer to the long distance service provider node for storage to permit billing the calling party for the long distance charges for the call.
The method and the apparatus in accordance with the invention therefore provide a novel means of establishing long distance voice communications between a calling party having access to a computer which can be connected to the Internet and a telephone connected to the PSTN and any called party also having a telephone connected to the PSTN. For the purposes of the description which follows xe2x80x9cconnected to the PSTNxe2x80x9d means any telephone set to which a call may be placed to or from the PSTN, including cellular telephones, radio telephones, ship-to-shore telephones and any other voice communications device which is accessible through the PSTN, including a PBX, or the like. It will also be understood by those skilled in the art that the long distance service provider node and the call connection control computer having an interface to the toll switch connected to the PSTN may be the same machine or may be different machines which are geographically co-located or geographically separated.
The method in accordance with the invention permits any subscriber to the PSTN which also has access to the Internet to place a long distance call to any other party not served by the local switch of the PSTN to which the calling party is connected. The method is particularly well adapted for the provision of international calls since the greatest savings are generally to be realized when international calls are made. In accordance with the method, a calling party logs on to the long distance service provider node which is conveniently a worldwide web page accessible through the Internet. In order to control access to the calling features of the web page, it is preferable that each user is registered as a member by providing identification information including a credit card number, a debit card number, or the like to which calls can be charged. When a calling party logs on to the web page, the calling party preferably enters a logon name and a password to identify himself. On proper identification, software is downloaded to enable the calling party to initiate a long distance call request. Call initiation can be effected by filling in a call request form which includes the origination number and the termination number or, alternatively, by dialing the origination number and the termination number using a virtual keypad downloaded for that purpose. The calling party""s computer prepares a call request packet which is preferably encoded and uploaded to the long distance service provider node. The long distance service provider node extracts the origination and termination numbers from the call request packet and forwards an encrypted packet to the call connection control computer which decrypts the packet and uses the origination and termination numbers to instruct the toll switch to set up the call. Preferably, this selection of the carrier for handling the call is based on least cost routing, whereby a plurality of long distance carriers are available for carrying calls and the selection of a given carrier is based on the most competitive rate for completing the call given the origination and termination locations. After a carrier is selected, the call connection control computer instructs the toll switch in the PSTN to which it is interfaced to dial the calling party""s origination number, dial the called party termination number and conference together the two parties so that voice communication between the calling party and the called party is enabled. Preferably, the calling party is provided with a xe2x80x9cdelay for disconnectxe2x80x9d option so that the calling party can disconnect from the Internet if the calling party has only one line available for connection to the PSTN.
As described above, in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the invention, calling parties wishing to use this system are required to complete a membership information form which includes a valid credit card number to which calls are to be billed. When a call is terminated, the toll switch which completed the call connection returns billing information, which includes at least a duration of the call to the call connection control computer which preferably passes that information back to the long distance service provider node. On receipt of the billing information, the long distance service provider node writes a billing record to a billing database and using the credit card number in the calling party""s membership record, calls the card issuer for an authorization number for billing the call. If an authorization number is received, the authorization number is recorded in the billing record and the call process is terminated. If an authorization is not received, a xe2x80x9cbad creditxe2x80x9d flag is set in the membership record and processing is terminated. The xe2x80x9cbad creditxe2x80x9d flag in the calling party""s membership record prohibits further call processing until other billing arrangements are made or the problem is otherwise resolved.
The system in accordance with the invention may be described as an xe2x80x9cInternet Operatorxe2x80x9d which preferably arranges calls by a least cost route. The user interface at the worldwide web site may be plain or sophisticated. It may be as simple as an HTML text interface presented in the language of the user""s choice. Alternatively, it may be a sophisticated graphic interface with animation, voice prompts, dial pads, telephone directories, time zone indicators and the like.